Survey Says: 19% of Consumers Would Buy an iWatch; Are You One of Them?

A few months ago, a technology website in China claimed to have heard from "supply chain sources" that Apple was working on a Bluetooth-enabled smart watch designed by Intel. Unofficially dubbed "iWatch" by the media, this could be Apple's next big push in the mobile market, but if so, will the Cupertino outfit attract enough buyers to make the venture worthwhile?

The answer is a resounding "maybe." While several have scoffed at the idea, a new survey conducted by ChangeWave Research discovered that as much as 19 percent of U.S. consumers may be willing to buy an iWatch device if it becomes available.

Image Source: concept-phones.com

That's based on a survey of 1,713 consumers, of which 5 percent said they're "very likely" to purchase an Apple-branded smart watch. An additional 14 percent said they are "somewhat likely." Before anyone picks apart these numbers, consider that ChangeWave Research ran a similar survey ahead of the original iPad launch and found that 18 percent might be willing to buy an Apple tablet. We all know what happened since then.

"Apple’s track record of delivering ultra-convenient, easy to use products with a perceived ‘cool factor’ is driving pre-release demand for the rumored Apple iWatch,” ChangeWave’s Andy Golub said.

Golub did offer a caveat, saying that if an iWatch does become a real thing, it will have the burden of trying to "live up to super high expectations."